People found this Tacoma library branch ‘depressing.’ A $6 million face lift is coming
Tacoma Public Library’s Main Branch is getting an upgrade, its first in more than 30 years.
The library at 1102 Tacoma Ave. S. has been in decline for a decade because of lack of parking, unwelcoming and uninspiring spaces, and safety concerns, according to Tacoma Public Library.
The upgrade, which is expected to be completed Spring 2024, will have improved safety and accessibility, new materials in the library’s collection, more welcoming and light-filled spaces, improved meeting and event rooms, updated gallery space and areas for reading, relaxing, studying and convening small groups, a new Digital Media Lab and improved spaces and efficiencies for staff to create better service outcomes.
Mariesa Bus, TPL’s public information officer, said the library’s space wasn’t inviting and engaging, and in a community survey, one library patron said Main was “depressing.”
“We want to be a community hub, more than just a book storage,” Bus said.
The library was closed for more than a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with operations limited to curbside service and a virtual model. During that time, the library director looked for ways to update Main to better utilize the space, resources and staff.
The Main Branch will be fully reopened in 2024. Renovations began last year and are about one-fourth complete. The work included a spacial relationship/pre-design study and projects like a major repair to the library’s large elevator. The work has been done by library staff to prepare the space for construction.
Tacoma Public Library will go out to bid for its facility improvements early in 2023 to begin construction in the spring. That phase will renovate the first floor to hold the library’s collection and traditional services, like reference, a children’s area, circulation desks, meeting rooms and public programs. The second floor will be retrofitted to create programming for nonprofit tenants. New lighting, flooring and painting will also be included in that phase.
The library’s upgrade is expected to cost $6 million, which will be funded by the City of Tacoma, state and federal sources, along with possible grants.
Tacoma Public Library will bring in more nonprofit partners with the renovations, Bus said. The partners pay a monthly fee less than market rate and provide workshops and programs in exchange. Tacoma Tool Library, a program that provides access to shared tools and other durable goods and teaches how to use household tools, is one of the library’s nonprofit partners.
Portions of the original 1903 Carnegie Library will be refreshed. The adjoining building was constructed in 1950. The library’s last significant upgrade was in 1990.
During renovations, express library services have continued in the lobby of Main since Spring 2021. Patrons can still check out books and other materials, pick up holds, sign up for a library card and use the computer with printing and copier access. Public restrooms and the elevator are not available.
The Northwest Room, a collections space that has Tacoma-Pierce County buildings index and obituary index and digitized images, is be open by appointment.
The Digital Media Lab, which helps patrons record and produce music, edit graphics and digital photos, transfer media and create your own podcast or vlog, is also open by appointment.
Tacoma Tool Library is available through the library’s express services and by appointment and will continue until construction makes it inaccessible.
The library is operating its normal hours, noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Wednesday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.
This story was originally published September 9, 2022 at 5:00 AM.